Israel has been arming a Palestinian militia in Gaza as part of a broader effort to fight Hamas in the enclave, according to officials. After a daylong controversy over the allegations, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel acknowledged on Thursday that the country had been working with “clans in Gaza.”
Two Israeli officials and another person familiar with the matter said the Israeli authorities had provided support, including weapons, to Yasser Abu Shabab, a well-known gunman who leads the militia in southern Gaza. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.
Mr. Abu Shabab is believed to command a relatively small armed group in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. He became notorious in the territory last year amid accusations — which he disputed — that he had looted and resold truckloads of humanitarian aid intended for hungry Gazans.